Champaign Democrat Pius Weibel is the new chair of the Champaign County board. A majority of County Board Democrats voted to appoint Weibel as chair at Monday night’s organizational meeting. His election came after an effort by fellow Democrat Pattsi Petrie to continue as chair with Republican support collapsed, due to the absence of GOP member John Jay.

A faculty-student panel at the University of Illinois has passed a measure that renews a commitment to diversity, and a welcoming climate for minority and LGBT students in the wake of the presidential election. But there was also a fair amount of debate at Monday’s meeting of the Urbana Campus Senate - primarily over whether the 'Resolution on an Inclusive Campus Senate' needed further review.

On the 21st: We talked to residents in Casey, Illinois, where the town has gone from a manufacturing area to a tourist attraction thanks to some "World's Largest" items; Plus, we spoke with the team behind the "Stranded by The State" video series that focuses on Illinois' state budget impasse.

On the 21st: A rebroadcast of our interview with WBEZ Chicago's South Side reporter Natalie Moore - about her book "The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation." Plus, we discussed NPR's "Hidden Brain" podcast with host Shankar Vedantam.

The Army Corps of Engineers has decided to deny a permit for the construction of a key section of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The decision essentially halts the construction on the 1,172-mile oil pipeline about half a mile south of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. The decision is also a victory for the thousands of demonstrators across the country who flocked to North Dakota in protest.